Pretend you are on the outside looking in. If a friend came to you with the same problems, what advice would you give?

Have you unwittingly locked yourself into a dynamic in which you’re so nervous about making a mistake that you make a mistake? Be willing to analyze and change the way you do things at work.

Give yourself permission to screw up. Remember that successful people fail more often than unsuccessful ones because they try many things.

Give yourself permission to complain, but don’t get carried away. Limit your wallowing to, say, 10 minutes at 8 p.m. every day. When you feel bad, say, “I’ll put that on my list for tonight.” (Bonus: By the time 8 p.m. arrives, you may be in a much better mood.)

Finally, set goals. These can be career or personal objectives. What’s essential is to have something wonderful to work toward, plan for and dream about. Goals give you a reason to get up in the morning and remind you that your current situation is not going to last forever.